Igal, Gaddiel, and Shammua

Let’s play Bible trivia.  Question #1 – Who were Igal, Gaddiel, and Shammua?  Question #2 – Who were Joshua and Caleb? The answer to both questions is the same. These five men were among the 12 spies whom Moses sent to explore Canaan, to see if they were able to take the Promised Land. Igal,…

The Mark Twain Diet

A month after my heart surgery last year, my cardiologist gave me the simple formula for living a long life. He said, “Eat what you don’t like.” Mark Twain took this a little further: “The only way to keep your health is to eat what you don’t want, drink what you don’t like, and do…

There’s Still Hope

When we began our ministry in 2017, we knew one word had to be in the title – hope. We talk a lot about hope here. But there is another word that is just as important. Still. There’s Hope and There’s Still Hope are two completely different things.  Here’s what we believe. There’s STILL hope,…

Sanctification that Matters

The Bible promises three things to every believer: “You were washed, sanctified, and justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 6:11). Let’s talk about that middle one – sanctification. The process of sanctification simply means to become more like Christ. There are several ways we might try this. Many of us…

Depressing

I have some depressing news for you.  According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 6.7 percent of the adult population has dealt with depression. And data released by Dr. Paul Greenberg and his colleagues concludes that the number of Americans with Major Depression Disorder increased by 13 percent from 2010 to 2018, with 47…

Happy Birthday!

If you were born on January 16, happy birthday! You share your birthday with nearly 22 million other Earthlings. Here is a list of just a few of those 22 million people who were born on January 16. We celebrate birthdays because life matters. Your life matters. But you shouldn’t wait until your next birthday…

You Can Do This!

Most addicts make a commitment to quit their behavior, but they don’t stick to their plan. Why is this? I suggest several reasons. Any obstacle to your recovery is worthy of a wrecking ball. Making a commitment to recovery is the easy part. I know, because I made that commitment 100 times. And I quit…

Logic vs Emotions

Let’s talk about logic, emotions, and self-control. Dr. Jonathan Heidt has concluded, “Psychology tells us that the brain consistently tricks you into thinking your logic is in control, but generally, it is not. You are being driven by emotions and instinctual drives which your logical brain then rationalizes. This gives the appearance of the logical…

Samaria

“Jesus had to go through Samaria” (John 4:4). Let me explain why this matters.  The Jews and Samaritans disliked each other. It all went back to 722 B.C. when the Assyrians conquered Israel and took the northern ten tribes into captivity. They brought in Gentiles from other areas to settle in that same region. Eventually,…

Today

The average person will live about 30,000 days.  I’m not sure where I stand on that continuum, but I’m pretty sure I’m closer to the end than I am to the beginning. Will I live 30,000 days? A little less? A little more?  Who knows? But I do know this – I’m alive on this…